Name: Lafayette native, La Tech transfer Tre Harris helps Ole Miss upset LSU
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Lafayette native, La Tech transfer Tre Harris helps Ole Miss upset LSU

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David EckertMississippi Clarion-LedgerOXFORD — Almost two months before he bluffed left and darted right, buckling two LSU defenders just long enough to score one of the most memorable touchdowns in recent Ole Miss football history, Tre Harris sat at a cafeteria-style table and fielded a question.Did he ever think he'd get here?"No," the wideout said with a big grin. "I'm not gonna lie to you. When I got out of high school, I didn't have many offers. It was just a bunch of in-state offers. I barely got the offer out of my hometown from (Louisiana)."Everything Harris has won, Harris has fought for. It's a precedent his sisters set long ago.Destiny Sias, who has seven years on her younger brother and grew up playing three sports, taught Harris much of what he knows about competing."Our dad, he worked in the oil field, so for the majority of our life he wasn't home," Sias told The Clarion Ledger. "He was home maybe half the year. So, I had to make sure that, if I was outside practicing, then Tre was outside practicing with me."When Harris, as an eight-year-old, tagged along to Sias' varsity basketball practices, he understood there would be no mercy directed his way. The same applied when the four siblings would line up in the street for one of their many races down the block. Little Tre would only win if he deserved to.Once he could compete athletically, out came the tricks."I can remember when Tre was finally able to dunk," Sias said. "He only had one chance to dunk on me. He had his one chance, and I was like, 'OK, that's your last time ever being able to dunk on me.' So, as he's in the air, I pulled the older sister move and I, of course, shoved him."Saturday, Sias watched with pride as that same little kid from Lafayette caught eight passes for 153 yards and that vital touchdown to lead the Rebels to an unforgettable 55-49 victory over LSU. Now, there's another pressing question.How far can Harris take these Rebels?Lane Kiffin, still descending the mountain of adrenaline that came from one of his biggest wins as Ole Miss' coach, did the best he could to explain why he was so pleased to get Harris back after he missed the bulk of three games with an injury."This guy is an electric receiver in our system," Kiffin said, adding that some of his disappointment about the Rebels' loss the previous week at Alabama stemmed from the fact that Harris couldn't do much.Against Mercer and LSU – the only two games this season in which Harris, an offseason transfer from Louisiana Tech, wasn't limited – the Ole Miss offense has averaged an astounding 5.33 points per drive.In their other three games – Tulane, Georgia Tech and Alabama – the Rebels have averaged 2.79 points per drive.By at least one metric, Harris is the most efficient Power Five receiver in the country. Harris started the week leading the nation in yards per route run at 5.25, according to statistician Parker Fleming.Those stats show us two things. First, Harris' status as Ole Miss' third-leading receiver could not be more temporary. And, more importantly, the juice he gave the Ole Miss offense last week could stick around."Had he not gotten hurt, I think – I know – this guy would be a frontrunner for the Biletnikoff," Kiffin said, referencing the annual award given to college football's top wideout. "Because you saw what he did (Saturday), and he's still not 100 percent."SHOW THEM THE MONEY:Here's how salaries for Lane Kiffin, Zach Arnett, Will Hall stack up in SEC, Sun BeltSafety Trey Washington has suffered a similar fate to the LSU defensive backs Harris torched last week a few times in practice. So what makes Harris such a difficult cover? What skills did Harris – a high school quarterback – develop at Louisiana Tech that have allowed him to become one of the SEC's top wideouts?"His versatility," Washington said. "He's very smart and keyed in on route running. He knows how to get to his spots efficiently, and of course, when the ball's in the air, he plays it like it's his. That makes him an elite wide receiver."Harris showcased his unique combination of pace and power in his Ole Miss debut, breaking the school record with four receiving touchdowns in the season opener against Mercer. He started by spinning around the defender on a slant route that ended in six points. Next, he beat a defensive back in the air and dragged him seven yards over the goal line. He broke three tackles and spun away from another for his third TD. Finally, he baited one defender into biting on a double move before running over the only remaining Mercer player standing between him and history.But where the untrained eye sees physical ability, Kiffin senses mental strength."He truly prepares like a 10-year NFL vet," Kiffin said. "This guy is all about being a great player and doing whatever it takes. It's very refreshing. ... I don't think there's a lot of those anymore."From the start, Harris knew his only path to success had to be paved by his own hands. It's a willingness to work that Sias said comes from their father, Cleveland. Harris held six offers out of high school, and none of them came from Power Five programs.He knew Louisiana Tech could give his talent a platform. He just had to take his chance."Just go grind," he said in August. "That's all I could tell myself. Just go grind and do the best you can."David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the&nbsp;SEC Unfiltered newsletter,&nbsp;delivered straight to your inbox.

David EckertMississippi Clarion-LedgerOXFORD — Almost two months before he bluffed left and darted right, buckling two LSU defenders just long enough to score one of the most memorable touchdowns in recent Ole Miss football history, Tre Harris sat at a cafeteria-style table and fielded a question.Did he ever think he'd get here?"No," the wideout said with a big grin. "I'm not gonna lie to you. When I got out of high school, I didn't have many offers. It was just a bunch of in-state offers. I barely got the offer out of my hometown from (Louisiana)."Everything Harris has won, Harris has...

Lafayette native, La Tech transfer Tre Harris helps Ole Miss upset LSU

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